1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dairy products that are manufactured by using a protein deamidating enzyme and present smooth oral sensation with suppressed acidic taste and bitter taste. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing the foregoing.
2. Discussion of the Background
Dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, etc. were once unfamiliar foodstuffs for Japanese. However, in recent years, their consumption has increased due to their health and nutrition-related functions. Thus, a variety of dairy products are on the market to meet diversified food preference of consumers.
Rennet is a milk-clotting enzyme for cheese, which is well-known in the filed for manufacturing dairy products. Further, a method utilizing a transglutaminase for cheese (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Hei 8-173032) and a method utilizing the same for yogurt (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. Hei 6-197688) are also known.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2000-50887 discloses a method for using a protein deamidating enzyme to deamidate casein, thereby to improve the dispersibility and solubility thereof, and a method of manufacturing pudding-like foods which comprises allowing a transglutaminase to act on concentrated milk, wherein a protein deamidating enzyme is added to terminate the transglutaminase action. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2001-218590 discloses a method wherein a protein deamidating enzyme is allowed to act on a milk caseinate or a whey protein, in order to deamidate, thereby to improve the foaming properties, emulsification, and solubility thereof. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2003-250460 discloses a method wherein a protein deamidating enzyme is allowed to act on β-lactoglobulin, in order to deamidate, thereby to improve the properties in foaming and emulsification.
However, these patent documents do not describe a method for providing a dairy product according to the present invention which presents smooth oral sensation with suppressed acidic taste and bitter taste. In particular, none of the foregoing references disclose a cheese and/or yogurt which present smooth oral sensation with suppressed acidic taste and bitter taste. As such, there remains a critical need for a method of producing a dairy product according to the present invention which presents smooth oral sensation with suppressed acidic taste and bitter taste, as well as a dairy product produced thereby.